| abstract |
New imunomodulating peptides are disclosed, having general Formula R1-aa1-aa2-aa3-aa4-aa5-Pro-aa7-aa8-aa9-aa10-aa11-aa12-aa13-aa14-aa15-R2 wherein R1 is H, R2 is OH, or R1 and R2 are each an aminoacid residue or peptidic chains, similar or different, which contain from 2 to 10 aminoacid residues, so that when R1 = H and R2 = OH, the formula represents a pentadecapeptide whose N-terminal and C-terminal aminoacids are respectively aa1 and aa15; aa2 is a residue of Val, Leu, Ile, Ala, Lys or Gly; aa11 is a residue of Glu or Asp; and the other aminoacid residues aan different from aa2 and aa11 may be any of the 20 natural aminoacids. The incubation of such peptides with lymphomononuclear cells of peripheral blood enhances their cytotoxic activity against K562 and Daudi cells used as target cells of tumors. Proliferation of lymphomononuclear cells as well as an increase of the number and proportion of CD14+, CD56+ and CD11b+ are induced. Such peptides are useful in biotherapy for cancer and also as reagents to evaluate the cellular response capacity of the immune system. |